As a child, you tried so hard to make Mother’s Day special. Unfortunately, your breakfast-in-bed attempt resulted in a ruined frying pan and a sink full of dishes. And while Mom definitely appreciated the effort that went into that necklace made of Cheerios, it didn’t exactly match her style. Now that you’re an adult, picking a meaningful Mother’s Day gift is just as important—and can feel just as difficult.

Fortunately, as an adult, you have the benefit of hindsight, a deeper and more understanding relationship with your mom, and the internet at your disposal, which means you have the potential to create and give a unique gift that she’ll treasure forever.

To come up with the perfect gift, it’s a good idea to borrow an idea from your younger self and make it better. Even if the execution wasn’t perfect, your handmade childhood Mother’s Day gifts were special to your mom not because they were particularly artful, but because you made them with her in mind. As your tiny fingers sculpted that shapeless lump of PlayDoh, she knew you were making something specifically for her.

How to make a memorable Mother’s Day gift when you are grown-up?

Here’s a secret about moms: While they do love beautiful things, they also love beautiful sentiments. And if you can combine the two? Your gift will be special, unique—and delightful. Yes, a piece of jewelry is always appreciated (particularly when it’s not made of breakfast foods), but what truly makes a memorable gift for Mom is the knowledge that you, her sweet child, were thinking of her the whole time.

With AwesomeBox, you and the collaborators of your choice can create a beautiful, thoughtful gift that will let Mom know how much you care through meaningful words, photos, and memories. Invite her friends, your siblings, or anyone else special to her, and together, we’ll help you build a beautifully-designed piece that will truly make this Mother’s Day a memorable event.

We’ve heard from our customers that there’s nothing quite like the moment that their loved one opens their AwesomeBox. Immediately, they’re overwhelmed with not only the special memories that come with so many long-forgotten photos and kind words—they also feel the warmth of friends and family who spent time creating such a significant item.

You may not have always had the tools (or motor skills) to make your mom the unique, special gift you always knew she deserved—but you do now. This Mother’s Day, take a page out of your old playbook by creating something just for her.

One night, a few months ago, my very young nephew did not want to go to bed. I scooped him up and tucked him into warm covers, but he was having none of it. He wanted to be downstairs where the adults were telling stories.

So I told one to him. I described a day, a beautiful day in a shining meadow. There’s a picnic. And all his friends are there. “…and Neal is there, and Sierra is there, and Auntie Rachel is there, and….” I listed us all. His eyes glowed, and he couldn’t stop smiling as he stared at the ceiling and imagined it—in a field, playing games, with everyone in the world that he loves.

There’s something in this story that’s gentle, and calming, and old. Centuries ago, this was how we lived: in tight-knit groups of people whom we knew our whole lives long, in a dark cluster of houses with the wilderness beyond. It was a bit stinky, maybe, but we were safe, and we were loved.

Today, we’re dispersed around the globe. Where once we would have seen a few dozen familiar faces for decades, now we see hundreds every day. Every interaction is a new opportunity to be cool, right? But I sometimes miss that enclosed, safe place where everybody knows me.

Image: From Shuchi’s Birthday AwesomeBox

Recently, I spoke with Shuchi, whose husband created an Awesomebox for her birthday. On a Friday night, gathered with friends around a big corner table at Lola’s restaurant, she felt rather than saw the commotion a few seats away. Many hands passed a bag to her. She reached inside, took out a white box with her own smiling face on it, and opened it. Picture after picture, she pulled out the people in her life she cared most about.

“This is awesome!”

She recalled being surprised, happy and grateful. Everyone at the table, all contributors to the Awesomebox, got big hugs. They expected her to cry, but she didn’t. She was, she says, too happy.

First thing the next morning, though, and without waking kids or husband, she curled up on her couch with her box and went through it again, slowly and with care. She examined each image and read what her people had written. “Oh my god, this is from my friends all across the world,” she realized.

“This time, there were tears rolling down my face. I was really happy. I felt really thankful that I had so many people who loved me, people from across the globe, and it was like they were there for me. Every card I read, I had tears rolling down. I spent an hour re-reading it.”

That evening, Shuchi had her girlfriends over for tequila—another gathering, another celebration. Once more, the box came out to tell Shuchi’s story. Everyone wanted one; they had never seen anything like it. On Monday, it went to work so colleagues could hear and see. Even Shuchi’s father in Pune, India viewed the box on the website. “And then I had a happy dad.” All over the globe, friends and family had collaborated to send love on her birthday.

“People sitting across the world—you don’t feel like that anymore. It’s like the person is with you from so far away.”

Every time you open it, every picture you pull out, and each word you read takes you back to your village.

Half of becoming the greatest gift giver of all time is showing up! We like to think the other half is AwesomeBox. Get both by never missing an occasion. If you have someone in mind but it’s a little too soon, let us give you a nudge at the right time by scheduling a reminder. It only takes 15 seconds.

We’ll send you a quick note one month before for your dad’s birthday, cousin’s wedding or anything else you want to celebrate. A pretty simple way to gain entry into gift giving’s hall of fame.

Our users are so many things to us. Because we derive so much energy from their reactions and messages, we’re well aware of their impact as cheerleaders. Another, potentially more important, role they play is that of guide. On a daily basis they tell us what would make their AwesomeBox experience even better. That feedback is simply invaluable. But recently, our users have been sharing one aspect of AwesomeBox that is much less related to improving the product and more about…just improving. So I thought I would try putting that simple concept into practice right here by getting a jump on sharing something with someone special to me.

Never seen an AwesomeBox? Check out one that was given earlier this spring.

We’ve loved seeing how our customers share memories to celebrate all of life’s events with AwesomeBox. Weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, even promotions and retirements. Our users have given AwesomeBoxes on all of those occasions and more.

But we started wondering…what about all those other days?? The ones littered with unheralded encounters and unsung moments.

You know, like when you have to stop at the grocery store on the way home from work?

Or take out the trash?

Chat with your least favorite neighbor?

That forgettable presentation at work?

We’re excited to introduce a brand new way to celebrate everything: OrdinaryBox! It’s the companion to AwesomeBox that lets you celebrate the less-than-awesome things in life. Think of it as the “youth sports league trophy” of gifts. Every occasion deserves one.

Now you can immortalize the un-memorable just like you would mom’s birthday. Don’t let another day of parking the car slip by.

And when someone asks you in 2025, “When did you go to the dentist in 2016?” You’ll know. Thanks, OrdinaryBox!